The Golden State Warriors may be finally getting their act together after a frustrating regular season, and they will have an interesting first-round playoff matchup against the Sacramento Kings.
The Kings, who are the third seed in the Western Conference, are in the postseason for the first time since 2006, and they led the NBA in scoring during the regular season at 120.7 points per game while finishing with a better record on the road than at home.
On the other hand, they’re a weak defensive team, and most of their players haven’t been to the playoffs before.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this matchup is the fact that Sacramento head coach Mike Brown served as an assistant under Warriors head coach Steve Kerr for six seasons prior to this one.
That means that Stephen Curry and company will have some idea of what he may do strategically, and Curry says he’s ready.
Brown earned three championship rings during his time with the Warriors, and he has certainly paid his dues over the years.
His first head coaching job came with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005 to 2010, and during that time, he melded a young LeBron James and a lackluster supporting cast into a unit that reached the Eastern Conference Finals twice and the NBA Finals once.
He moved on to the Los Angeles Lakers for one season and change, giving him the opportunity to coach Kobe Bryant, before joining Kerr and the Warriors for the 2016-17 campaign.
Brown is a huge favorite for the NBA’s Coach of the Year award, and assuming he wins it, it will be a well-deserved honor.
